The Open University

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OU Carers Scholarship open for applications until end of month

9 June 2022

The Open University’s (OU) Carers Scholarships Fund is open for applications until the 24 June 2022. Established to help carers overcome the many hurdles that prevent them from accessing education, the scheme will support 20 carers with full tuition cost for any OU undergraduate credit-bearing course; six of the scholarships will be reserved for young […]

OU to provide skills boost for local communities

25 May 2022

The OU will partner with further education providers to provide high-quality, higher and technical education to more local communities across England, backed by £10 million of Government funding. Under the scheme, announced by Higher and Further Education Minister Michelle Donelan today (25 May), The Open University will work with colleges that do not currently offer […]

Sensitive topics: why studying them at a distance needs extra care

23 May 2022

Academic study can sometimes mean students cover difficult themes; reading, watching or hearing accounts and taking in information which can be shocking or even a reminder of a highly personal past or present experience. A team of researchers at The Open University (OU) are investigating how the OU’s students emotionally experience and deal with such […]

New programme offers Black students chance for free degree study

19 May 2022

Fifty Black UK-based students on lower incomes are being offered the opportunity to study for a degree for free through The Open University, via the Black Students Support Fund. The Fund is part of a series of scholarships, worth more than £2.6 million in total, and is designed to open doors for people who might […]

OU responds to Education Select Committee report about prisoner education

18 May 2022

The House of Commons Education Select Committee has today published its report ‘Not just another brick in the wall: why prisoners need an education to climb the ladder of opportunity’. The Open University is the primary provider of higher education in prisons and secure units in England and Wales, operating in over 150 prisons across […]

OU launches support package to help Ukraine

16 May 2022

The Open University (OU) has launched a raft of measures aimed at helping students and Ukrainians fleeing the war and arriving in the UK. These include financial support and assistance for existing OU students, a funding lifeline to potential students from Ukraine now living in the UK, as well as free online learning and partnerships […]

REF 2021 recognises 82% of OU research impact as ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent.’

12 May 2022

The Open University (OU)’s commitment to research and societal impact is recognised today (Thursday, 12 May), with 82% of its research impact assessed to be ‘world-leading’ (4*) or ‘internationally excellent’ (3*) by the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021. These results are a welcome acknowledgement of the impact of OU researchers’ work in transforming lives, shaping […]

OU offers funding opportunity for disabled veterans

11 May 2022

A scholarship fund with the potential to change people’s lives is open for applications. Now in its fifth year, The Disabled Veterans’ Scholarships Fund (DVSF) is once again open for applications offering 50 free study places at The Open University (OU) to individuals injured or disabled as a result of military service. So far, the […]

Refugees walking along with their belongings. Image credit:Thinkstock

Open University launches fund for displaced refugees

9 May 2022

A new fund has been launched by The Open University (OU) to support people displaced by conflict or crisis to build a brighter and better future. The Open Futures Sanctuary Scholarships programme is designed to help refugees, forced migrants and people seeking asylum; those fleeing armed conflict, violence, or persecution in their home nation, including […]